USPTO Patents Application 10500384

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This is to certify that the annexed is a true copy of
the documents as originally filed with the Patent- and
Registration Office in connection with the following
patent application.

yV^ (71) Sokande Chalmers Technology Licensing RB t Gbteborg SE

Applicant (s)

(21) Patentansokningsnummer 0104452-8
Patent application number

(86) Ingivningsdatum 2001-12-28
Date of filing

Stockholm, 2003-01-09

For Patent- och registreringsverket
For the Patent- and Registration Office

Gi/nilla Larsson

PATENT- OCH
REGISTRERINGSVERKET

SWEDEN

Postadress/Adress Telefbn/Phone
Box 5055 +46 8 782 25 00

S-102 42 STOCKHOLM Vx 08-782 25 00

Telex
17978

PATOREG S

Telefax

+46 8 666 02 86
08-666 02 86

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TITLE

A method for manufacturing a nanostructure In-situ, and in-situ manufactured
nanostructure devices.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a nanostructure
in-situ at a predetermined point on a supporting carrier, and also to such a
nanostructure device. In addition, the invention relates to electronics devices
comprising a nanostructure made according to the method of the invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Nanostructures, for example in the shape of tubes, so called nanotubes, are
structures which offer a number of new and interesting functionalities In, for
example, the field of electronics. At present, however, there are difficulties
associated with the manufacturing of nanostructures. Nanotubes, for
example, are at present produced by means of a variety of procedures, which
all have the common drawback that the nanotubes produced in these ways
need a significant amount of postprocessing, and also need additional
manipulation in order to be incorporated into devices.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the invention is thus to solve the mentioned drawbacks of
contemporary nanostructure technology, with a non-exclusive emphasis on
nanotubes.

This purpose is achieved by a method for manufacturing a nanostructure in-
situ at at least one predetermined point on a supporting carrier, which
method comprises the steps of choosing a suitable material for a substrate to
be comprised in the carrier, creating said substrate, and preparing a template
on the substrate, wherein the template covers said predetermined point. The
template is given a proper shape according to the desired shape of the final
nanostructure, and a film of nanosource material with desired thickness,

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width and length is caused to be formed on the template. The film of
nanosource material is caused to restructure from a part of the template, thus
forming the desired nanostructure at the predetermined point.

The template preferably comprises two areas which have different properties
with respect to their interaction with the nanosource material. In one
embodiment of the present invention, this is done by one of the areas having
stronger adhesive properties than the other with respect to the nanosource
material.

By means of the method of the invention, virtually any nanostructure can thus
be manufactured in-situ on a carrier, with the desired final shape of the
nanostructure being obtained by giving the template the proper shape
according to the desired shape of the nanostructure. The template may thus
15 serve both as an aligning structure for the nanostructure. and as a bonding
material for attaching the nanostructure to the carrier.

The invention thus also offers a nanostructure device, comprising a carrier
and a nanostructure positioned on said carrier, said nanostructure extending
20 along a predetermined path on the carrier, with the device additionally
comprising an aligning structure, which aligns the nanostructure along said
predetermined path on the carrier.

The device will also preferably comprise a layer of material positioned on the
25 carrier, said material being a bonding material for attaching the nanostructure
to the carrier, and suitably also serving as an aligning structure for the
nanostructure.

In addition, the invention makes It possible to manufacture electronics
30 devices, for example semiconducting devices, comprising nanotubes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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The Invention will be described in closer detail below, with the aid of the
appended drawings, in which:

Fig 1a-1d schematically shows the main steps in a manufacturing process
according to the Invention,

Fig 2 shows a nanotube manufactured according to the Invention, along the
line ll-llinfig 1.

Fig 3a and 3b show other views of fig 1 and 2, respectively, and

Figs 4 and 5 show the integration of a nanotube according to the invention in

an electronics device, and

Fig 6 shows a specific example of a nanosource material, and

Fig 7-9 show nanotube semiconductor devices which can be manufactured

with the aid of the Invention.

EMBODIMENTS

In fig 1, the main steps in a process according to the invention are shown. In
order to facilitate the understanding of the Invention, an embodiment of the
invention in which a specific nanostructure, a nanotube, is formed, will be
described. However, it should be kept in mind, and will become apparent to
one skilled in the art, that a large number of nanostructures can be formed
using the present invention.

The main steps of the illustrative process will first be described briefly,
following which a more detailed description of some of the steps will be
given.

The main steps are as follows:

A material is chosen for a substrate 110, which will act as a carrier. There are
two points, A and B on the substrate 110, which it is desired to connect via a
nanostructure, in this case a nanotube, which extends along a predetermined
path, in this case the shortest distance, i.e. a straight line, between said two
points, however, it should become obvious to one skilled In the art that the

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invention enable, a nanostructure to be designed which will follow more or
less any predetermined path on the substrate or carrier.

On the substrate 110, a template 115 is formed, so that the template
5 connects the two points A and B, i.e. the template or at least its edges
coincides with me predetermined path. Since the nanostructure that It Is
desired to shape in this example of an embodiment is a nanotube, the
template is given essentially rectangular dimensions, for reasons which will
become apparent below. However, If it is desired to have a nanostructure of
1 0 a different shape, this can easily be accomplished by means of the invention,
by shaping the template in a manner according to the shape of the desired
nanostructure.

The template 115 preferably comprises a first 120 and a second 130 area.
15 said two areas being distinct from each other in that the material of the areas
exhibit different properties in a way which will be described below.

On the template, a film 140 of nanosource material is formed. The materials
of the two template areas 120, 130 exhibit different properties towards the
20 nanosource material in their interaction with the nanosource material.

In this particular embodiment, the different interaction with the nanosource
material lies In that the materials of the two template areas have different
adhesive properties towards the nanosource material, the material of one
25 area having stronger adhesive properties than the other. The significance of
the different adhesive properties will become apparent in the next step, which
is the so called exfoliation of the film:

The film 140 is caused to exfoliate, in other words to "liff from the template
area 115. Due to the different adhesive properties of the different template
30 areas 120.130. if the exfoliation is done In a controlled manner according to
the invention, only that part of the film 140 which is formed on the template
area 130 which has the weaker adhesive properties towards the film will

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exfoliate, whereas that part of me film which is formed on the area 120 with
the stronger adhesive properties will not exfoliate. Rather, this part of the film
will serve as an "anchor for the part of the film which exfoliates, i.e. a fixed
point for the future nanostructure, in this case a nanotube.

5

It should be pointed out that the exfoliation of the film is a particular case of a
more general aspect of the invention: parts of the film are caused to rise from
the template, and to form into new structures. The action by the film when the
template is shaped to make the film into a nanotube is exfoliation. However,
1 0 a more general term for this step of the invention is that the film is made to
"restructure'' from the template, and to then form the desired final shape of
the nanostructure.

Thus, part of the film 140 will restructure from the template by way of
15 exfoliation, and the layer of material 140 will now form the desired nanotube
150, which extends along the predetermined path, La connects the two
points A and B. The nanotube 150 Is bonded to the substrate or carrier by
means of the stronger bonding template area 120. Thus, the template serves
both as an aligning structure for the nanotube, and as a bonding structure for
20 it.

Naturally, a number of conditions should be fulfilled in order for the process
described above in connection with fig 1 to work in an optimal fashion, said
conditions being apparent to one skilled In surface science. For instance, the
25 entire process needs to take place in a controlled environment, so that the
materials involved are not contaminated during the process.

In addition, the materials should fulfil the following requirements:

30 - The substrate material: the material chosen for the substrate should
exhibit a desired mechanical strength, and should, In addition. In one
preferred embodiment be a material on which the nanosource material

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can not grow/be deposited. One example of a suitable substrate materia!
in electronics components which can be mentioned is silicon.

- The template material: As mentioned above, two different template
5 materials are used, with different adhesive properties with respect to the
nanosource material. One possibility is to use the same basic material for
both areas, and to then introduce defects into one of the areas in order to
create differing adhesive properties. Examples of such defects are grain
boundaries, step edges, dislocations, impurities or line edges. One
10 possible material for the template is, for example, silicon carbide, SiC, or
Aluminum Oxide. Other examples of suitable template materials are
nickel and/or cobalt.

Another distinct possibility would be to use the substrate as a template area
15 also, and to then introduce defects into the areas Intended to have template
properties, i.e. stronger or weaker bonding properties, the strength being
determined by the material introduced as an impurity, and the amount of that
material. Thus, one area of the substrate can act as the stronger bonding
material, °the anchor", and another area of the substrate can be induced with
20 defects which make that area an area with weaker bonding properties, or
vice versa

• The nanosource material: examples of suitable nanosource materials are
magnesium diboride, graphite, silicon or boron nitride.

25

Fig 2 shows the nanotube 150 seen along the line IMI of fig 1, Thus, fig 2
shows a nanostructure device 200, comprising a carrier 110 and a
nanostructure 150 in the shape of a tube positioned on the carrier, where the
nanotube 150 connects two points A, B on the carrier. The device 200
30 additionally comprises an aligning structure 120, here in the form of the
template material 120, but it should be pointed out that other ways of bonding

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the nanotube to the carrier can be envisioned within the scope of the
invention.

However, the device shown In fig 2 comprises a layer 120 of material
5 positioned between the nanotube 150 and the carrier 110, with the material
120 being a bonding material for attaching the nanotube to the carrier. As
described above, the material 120 also serves as an aligning structure for
aligning the nanotube 150 between the desired points A and B on the carrier,
so that the longitudinal extension of the tube coincides with the extension of
10 the aligning structure between the two points on the carrier.

Fig 3a and 3b show other views of fig 1 and 2, respectively. In fig 3a, the
substrate 110, and the template 1 1 5 are shown, as well as the different areas
120, 130 of the template. On top of the template areas, the film 140 of

15 nanosource will be deposited. By means of fig 3a, it should become apparent
that the position, orientation and deformation (by means of the restructuring,
in this case the exfoliation) of the future nanotube can be controlled
completely by means of the invention, since the orientation and position of
the template decides the corresponding parameters of the future nanotube- It

20 should also be mentioned that the shape of the nanostructure can be
controlled by means of controlling the shape of the template. This means that
although only rectangular templates are shown in this description, it is
entirely within the scope of the invention to shape a nanostructure in more or
less any desired structure by creating the proper corresponding template.

25

Fig 3b shows the device of fig 3a, following exfoliation of the film of
nanosource material. Thus, in fig 3b, there is a nanotube which connects two
desired points on a substrate, the nanotube being bonded to the substrate by
means of a bonding material which was, in this case, also used as a guiding
30 structure for determining the extension and position of the nanotube. The
material of the nanotube is shown as a honeycomb pattern, for reasons
which will become apparent later in this description.

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The points which are connected by the nanotube can, for example, be
electrical contacts, if the nanotube is to be comprised in an elactron.es
device.

5

The exfoliation of the film of nanosource material, i.e. the step between figs
3a and 3b is preferably carried out by providing additional energy to the film
of nanosource material. This can be done in a large number of ways which
should be apparent to the man skilled in the field, but one such method which
10 can be mentioned is. for example, by means of a laser beam, an ion beam or
an electron beam which illuminates at least part of the film of nanosource
material.

Additionally, the exfoliation can be done by means of doping at least part of
1 5 the material of the film of nanosource material, following its deposition on the
template areas.

Furthermore, the additional energy does not need to be supplied in equal
amounts over the area of nanosource material, the additional energy can. for
20 example, be provided to a section of that part of the nanosource material
which has been deposited on the area of the template which has the weaker
adhesive properties.

The nanosource material can be deposited on the template area in a large
25 number of different ways, which as such are known. Some such methods
which can be mentioned as examples are sputtering or evaporation of the
material.

One of many interesting materials to use as nanosource material Is the
30 element carbon, particularly if the nanostructures. in this example tubes, are
to be used for conducting electrical current, i.e. if the nanotube Is to be
comprised In an electronics component or device. In such an application, it is

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particularly advantageous if the carbon is deposited on the template in the
form of a graphene sheet Graphene can be defined as single atomic layer
graphite. Naturally, although the invention will be described using a film of
one graphene sheet, one or more graphene sheets can be used in the film of
5 the invention.

Fig 4a and 4b show how a nanotube made according to the invention, using
a graphene sheet as nanosource material, can be integrated into an
electronics component or device. Since the nanotube is to be used for
10 conducting current along a predetermined path between two points, contacts
for external devices should be incorporated into the nanotube device, which
will be explained in connection to figs 4a and 4b.

In fig 4a, the substrate 110 of the previous figures can be seen, as well as
15 the different template areas 130 (weak bond) and 120 (strong bond).
However, the difference compared to the previous structures is, as will be
evident from the figure, that the template area 120 which has the stronger
bond to the nanosource material now comprises two contact areas 120',
which can cover or constitute parts of the area 120, for example, as shown in
20 fig 4a, its end areas. Said two contact areas 120' are also suitably arranged
so that they will protrude at least slightly from the future nanotube, i.e. in this
case they protrude outside the edges of the rest of the template.

In fig 4b. the end result is shown: a sheet of graphene film has been
25 deposited on the template, and exfoliated from it so as to form a tube, in the
manner described above. The result is a nanotube 150, which connects two
parts on the substrate 110, said two parts in this case being contacts for
*: external devices. Since the resulting device 400 shown In fig 4b is intended

:* to connect, electrical current, the material for the contact areas should be

30 electrically conducting, in addition to the (stronger) bonding properties
described earlier. The contact areas 120' can either be formed on a
previously formed film of the template material 120. or they can be formed

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directly on the substrate, to act directly as the bonding and aligning structure
for the nanotube, as well as being contact points.

Fig 5 basically shows the same as Fig 4, but in the example shown in fig 5,
5 the nanosource material has been doped, Le. impurities have been
introduced into the graphene sheet thus giving the formed nanotube different
conducting properties as compared to a nanotube formed of pure graphene.

Turning now to graphene as a nanosource material, this material has at least
10 one specific property which makes it extremely interesting for electronics

applications: depending on the direction in which the film exfoliates, the

graphene tube will exhibit different conducting properties. As shown in fig 6,

there are two main directions in which a graphene sheet can be exfoliated.

shown with the arrows li and fe, thus giving the resulting nanotube different
15 so called chirality. Naturally, the film can be exfoliated in almost any direction.

using the proper template shape, thus making it possible to create a

nanotube with more or less any chosen chirality.

The direction of exfoliation indicated by the arrow It In fig 6 will give the
20 nanotube a chirality known as "zigzag", and the direction of exfoliation
indicated by the arrow l 2 in fig 6 will give the nanotube a chirality known as
"armchair". In more precise, scientific terminology, the "zigzag" chirality can,
in terminology known to those skilled in the field, be referred to as (N,0),
where N is an arbitrary integer (inventors?) and the "armchair" chirality can
25 be referred to as (N. N). where N is also an arbitrary integer (inventors?).

A nanotube with "armchair" chirality will exhibit conducting properties similar
to those of a metallic material, i.e. the nanotube will be highly conductive,
whereas a nanotube with "zigzag" chirality will exhibit conducting properties
30 similar to those of a semiconducting material.

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In other words, using a nanotube consisting of a plurality of sections in its
longitudinal direction, with the different sections having been formed by
exfoliation of graphene sheets in different orientations, thus giving the
different sections different chirality, it is possible to obtain components for a
5 semiconductor device, for example a transistor or a diode.

A step in the making of such a semiconductor device is shown in fig 7a: A
template area 710, consisting of, in this case, three different areas 720, 730,
740, has been arranged on a suitable substrate 750. in the manner described
1 0 earlier, each of the template areas 720, 730, 740 comprise two different "sub-
areas" 720". 720", 730', 730", 740', 740", where the "sub-area" denoted by a
single apostrophe ' Is an area that has weaker bonding properties with
respect to the nanosouree material, in this case graphene, than the "sub-
area" denoted by double apostrophes ".

15

As shown in fig 7b, the film of nanosouree material, in this case graphene, is
deposited on the template areas. In the particular case shown in fig 7b. the
object is to form a semiconductor device comprising a nanotube with three
different sections in the longitudinal direction of the tube, with the two outer
20 sections having the conducting properties of a metal, i.e. highly conducting,
and the middle section having semiconducting properties.

Thus, "sub-areas" 720 and 740 should, upon exfoliation, form a graphene
nanotube with "armchair" chirality. and "sub-area" 730 should, upon

25 exfoliation, form a graphene nanotube with "zigzag" chirality. In fig 7b, a very
efficient way of forming nanotube sections according to the invention so that
the sections will have cfifferent chiralities can be seen: it has been discovered
by the inventors of the present Invention that the exfoliation will take place In
a direction which is essentially perpendicular towards the main extension of

30 tine "bonding area" of the template. Thus, a graphene film can be deposited
more or less uniformly on a substrate on which different connecting template
areas have been formed, and the exfoliated nanotube sections can still be

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given desired and different chlrallties by virtue of the fact that the bonding
areas of the individual template areas exhibit different angles with respect to
one another. Thus, this method eliminates the need for depositing graphene
sheets with different orientation on the different template areas, and still the
5 same end result is achieved.

When graphene film has been formed on the template areas, exfoliation Is
then carried out as described above. It can be shown that the different
sections bond together as one continuous tube, with "bends" if and where the
10 angles of the bonding areas differ from one another.

The different template areas 720, 730, 740, for the various sections of the
nanotube can be formed on the substrate on the same side of the future
nanotube. or. as shown in fig 7, on alternating (left-right) sides of the future
15 nanotube, or in other patterns. In addition, the "sub-area" with the stronger
bonding properties. 720", 730", 740", can be formed in a straight line on the
substrate, or, as shown in figs 7a and 7b, with angles between them that are
smaller or larger than 180 degrees.

20 it should be noted that the conducting properties of the different sections of
the nanotube can be affected not only by giving the different sections
different chiraJlty: another way is to shape the template areas so that different
sections of the nanotube will have different radii, thus leading to different
cross-sectional areas, which will affect the conducting properties of the

25 respective sections.

Fig 8 shows the making of two separate semiconducting devices on one and
the same substrate, using the method shown in fig 7 and described above,
and fig 9 shows the making of a more complex semiconducting device than
30 the one in fig 7, using the method of fig 7.

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CLAIMS

1, A method for manufacturing a nanostructure (150) in-situ at at least one
predetermined point (A,B) on a supporting carrier (110), which method is
5 characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

- Choosing a suitable material for a substrate to be comprised in the carrier
(150), and creating said substrate,

- preparing a template (115) on the substrate, wherein the template covers
said predetermined point (A,B). and giving said template a proper shape

1 0 according to the desired final shape of the nanostructure,

-causing a film (140) of nanosource material with desired thickness* width
and length to be formed on the template (1 15),

- causing the film (140) of nanosource material to restructure from a part of
the template, thus forming the desired nanostructure (150) at the

1 5 predetermined point ( 1 50).

2. The method of claim 1, according to which the template (115) comprises a
first (120) and a second (130) area, which have different properties with
respect to their interaction with the nanosource material.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the different properties of the two areas
with respect to their interaction with the nanosource material is that one area
(120) is given stronger adhesive properties than the other (130).

25 4. The method of claim 3, according to which the area (120) of the template
that has the stronger adhesive properties with respect to the nanosource
material covers the at least one predetermined point (A,B ) on the substrate
(1 10), thus bonding the nanostructure to the carrier at that point.

30

5. The method of any of the previous claims, according to which the
restructuring is carried out by providing additional energy to the film (140) of
nanosource material.

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& The method of claim 5, according to which at least part of the additional
energy is provided by means of a laser beam, ton beam or electron beam
which illuminates at least part of the film of nanosource material.

5

7. The method of any of claims 1-4, according to which the restructuring is
carried out by means of doping at least part of the material of the film of
nanosource material.

10 8. The method of any of claims 5 ( 6 or 7, according to which the additional
energy or doping is provided to a section of that part of the nanosource
material which has been deposited on the area (130) of the template whose
material has the weaker adhesive properties.

15 9, The method of any of the previous claims, in which the restructuring of the
nanosource material is in the form of exfoliation.

10. The method of any of the previous claims, according to which the
nanostructure which is formed is a nanotube (150) which connects two

20 predetermined points (A, B) on the carrier (1 1 0).

11. The method according to any of the previous claims, according to which
at least one of the two (120,130) areas of the template (115) is rectangular.

25 12. The method of any of the previous claims, according to which the film
(140) of nanosource material which is caused to be deposited on the
template is a film of graphene.

13. A method for manufacturing an electronics device (400), said device
30 comprising at least a carrier (110) and, arranged on the carrier, at least one
component (150) for conducting electrical current between two
predetermined points (A, B) on the carrier, said method comprising the steps

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of choosing a suitable material for a substrate to be comprised in the carrier,
and creating the substrate, the method being characterized in that it
comprises the following steps:

- arranging on the substrate at least one template area (1 15), so that the two
5 predetermined points (A, B) on the carrier are in connection with a template

- arranging a contact point (120") for external devices to at least one of the
two predetermined points,

- causing a film (140) of nanosource material with desired thickness, width
10 and length to be deposited on at least one template area,

- causing at least one of said films of nanosource material to exfoliate from its
template and to form a nanotube (150) which connects the two
predetermined points on the carrier,

wherein said component for conducting electrical current is formed by said
15 nanotube (150).

14. The method of claim 13, according to which the at least one contact point
(120*) coincides with one of said two predetermined points (A,B).

20 15. The method of claim 13 or 14, according to which the contact point (120')
is prepared before the nanosource material is caused to exfoliate from its
template.

16. The method of claim 13 or 14, according to which the contact point (120')
25 is prepared after the nanosource material is caused to exfoliate from its

template.

17. The method of any of claims 13-16, according which to the at least one of
the templates comprises two areas (120,130) which have different properties

30 with respect to their interaction with the nanosource material.

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16 Huwidfa*»n

1 8. The method of claim 17. in which the different properties of the areas with
respect to their interaction with the nanosource material are brought about
by letting one area (120.120*) have stronger adhesive properties than the
other (130) with respect to the nanosource material .

5

19. The method of any of claims 13-18. according to which a plurality of
template areas are prepared on the substrate, said template areas being
arranged so that a nanotube which is formed by a film of nanotube structure
material formed on and subsequently exfoliated from one of these templates

10 will interconnect with another nanotube which in a similar manner is
exfoliated from a neighbouring template, thus forming one single continuous
nanotube.

20. The method of any of claims 13-19, according to which template areas
1 5 (120, 1 20") that has/have the stronger adhesive properties with respect to the

nanosource material (140) connect the two predetermined points (A, B) on
the substrate.

21. The method of any of claims 13-20, according to which the exfoliation is
20 earned out by providing additional energy to the film of nanosource material.

22. The method of claim 21 , according to which at least part of the additional
energy is provided by means of a laser beam, ion beam or electron beam,
which Illuminates at least part of the film of nanosource material.

25

23. The method of any of claims 13-20, according to which the exfoliation is
done by means of doping at least part of the material of the film of
nanosource material.

30

24. The method of any of claims 21, 22 or 23. according to which the
additional energy or doping is provided to a section of that part of the

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113245 USN

2001-12-28 2001 -12- 2 8

17 Huvudfaxen Kassan

nanosourc© material which has been deposrted on the area of the template
which has the weaker adhesive properties.

25. The method of any of claims 13-24. according to which the films of
5 nanotube source materials which are deposited on at least one of the

templates is a film which will form a nanotube with different electrical
properties compared to the electrical properties of a nanotube whfch will be
formed by a film which is deposited on at least one of the other templates,
thus giving the resulting total nanotube device semiconductor properties.

10

26. The method of any of claims 13-25, according to which the film of
nanosource material which is caused to be deposited on the templates is a
film of graphene.

1 5 27. The method of claim 26, according to which the tubes are given different
electrical properties by virtue of the tubes having different chirality.

28. The method according to any of claims 13-27, according to which at least
one of the two areas of the template is rectangular.

20

29. A nanostructure device (200), comprising a carrier (110) and a
nanostructure (150) positioned on said carrier, said nanostructure extending
along a predetermined path (A,B) on the carrier, characterized in that the
device additionally comprises an aligning structure, which aligns the

25 nanostructure along said predetermined path on the carrier (1 1 0).

30. The device (200) according to daim 29, additionally comprising a layer
(120) of material positioned on the carrier, said material being a bonding
material for attaching the nanostructure to the carrier.

30

31. The device of claim 30, according to which the structure of the bonding
material also serves as the aligning structure for the nanostructure.

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18

2001 -12- 2 8

Huvudfoxen Kassan

32. The device of any of claims 29-31, In which the nanostructure is a
nanotube.

5 33. The device of any of daims 29 - 32. in which the source material for the
nanostructure is graphene.

34. An electronics device (400), said device comprising at least a carrier
(110) and, arranged on the carrier, at least one component (150) for
1 0 conducting electrical current between two predetermined points (A, B) on the
carrier, said device being characterized in that it comprises a nanotube (150)
as the at least one component for conducting electrical current between the
two predetermined points, wherein the nanotube consists of at least two
different sections with respect to the longitudinal extension of the nanotube,
15 said two sections having different properties for conducting electrical current,
• with the device additionally comprising an aligning structure for aligning said

two sections of the nanotube between said two points (A B) on the carrier
(110).

20 35. The device (400) according to claim 34, additionally comprising a layer
(120) of material positioned on the carrier, said material being a bonding
material for attaching the nanotube to the carrier.

36. The device of claim 35, according to which the bonding material also
25 serves as the aligning structure for the nanotube.

37. The device of any of claims 34 - 36, in which the material of the nanotube
Is graphene.

30

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ABSTRACT

19

lnk.t^l-octiieg.vert(et
'001 -12- 2 8

Huvudfaxen Kassan

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a nanostructure (150) in-
situ at at least one predetermined point (A,B) on a supporting carrier (110),

5 which method comprises the steps of choosing a suitable material for a
substrate to be comprised in the carrier (150). and creating said substrate,
and preparing a template (1 15) on the substrate, so that the template covers
said predetermined point (A,B). The template is given a proper shape
according to the desired final shape of the nanostructure, and a film (140) of

10 nanosource material with desired thickness, width and length is formed on
the template (115), and the film (140) of nanosource material is made to
restructure from a part of the template, thus forming the desired
nanostructure (150) at the predetermined point (150). Suitably, the template
(115) comprises a first (120) and a second (130) area, which have different

1 5 properties with respect to their interaction with the nanosource material.

(Pig. D

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